THEY HAVE TAKEN AWAY MY LORD, AND
I KNOW NOT WHERE THEY HAVE LAID HIM.

by Helen Hull Hitchcock

The
words of the grieving Mary Magdalene recorded in the Gospel of John,
"They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid
Him" (Jn. 10:13), seem to capture the response of many distressed
Catholics when they hear that the tabernacle in which the Body of Christ
is reserved in churches is slated for removal from the most central
place in their church.

In response to many inquiries, AB published Monsignor Peter
Elliott's Appendix concerning tabernacle placement from Ceremonies of
the Modern Roman Rite ("Where Should We Put the
Tabernacle?", AB Vol. III, No. 9, 1998). But new church
construction and renovation of older ones continue, and so does the
concern.

The discussions surrounding the building and renovating of churches,
have made it clear that what is at issue is not a matter simply of
style, still less a debate over architectural taste. It is a matter
affecting central teachings of the Church concerning the function of a
church and the meaning of the Sacraments celebrated in it. Most
liturgical consultants advocate radical changes in the basic orientation
of the liturgical elements in churches, an "updating" which,
they believe, was mandated by a revolutionary change in the Second
Vatican Council's doctrine of Eucharist. The traditional central
placement of the tabernacle, the visual and symbolic center of Catholic
churches for at least a thousand years, is, in the opinion of most
influential liturgists and liturgical theologians, a mistake that
urgently needs fixing.

In many parish discussions of plans for renovations, liturgists have
selectively cited documents in an attempt to prove that the traditional
placement of the tabernacle in a central position in the sanctuary of
the church, where it is clearly visible to all, has been forbidden since
the Second Vatican Council. This claim is untrue, but nevertheless,
confusing to many Catholics.

Excerpts from Church documents concerning tabernacles, including
those most often presented to parishioners whose church is being
renovated, appear at the end of this article. They concern the number
and placement of tabernacles within churches, etc. The excerpts begin
with the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Code of
Canon Law, followed by liturgical documents. They are arranged here
chronologically, beginning with the most recent. Last is the relevant
section from the 1978 US Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy statement, Environment
and Art in Catholic Worship.

0ne major source of confusion about tabernacle placement is found in
§78 of Environment and Art in Catholic Worship [EACW] a key
sentence of which reads: "A room or chapel specifically designed
and separate from the major space is important so that no confusion
can take place between the celebration of the eucharist and
reservation" (emphasis added). This instruction is an
innovation unique to this statement, not to be found in any official
documents. None of the authoritative documents—whether issued
before 1978 or after—suggest that it is "important" for
ordinary parish churches to have Eucharistic reservation in tabernacles
"separate from the major space" within a church.

Separate Chapels for Cathedrals

Father Gilbert Ostdiek, OFM, in his presentation to parish building
committees called "Tabernacle Placement & Design: A
Commentary", says that the 1984 Caeremoniale Episcoporum (CE-Ceremonial
for Bishops) "recommends a reservation chapel separate from the
main body of the church" (Ostdiek, 5. 1).

Father Ostdiek cites §49 of the Caeremoniale to support his
view; but he neglects to mention that the document specifically concerns
cathedrals, not ordinary churches. Even within cathedrals, the
quoted paragraph "recommends" but does not mandate this
placement of the reserved Sacrament.

The footnote to this paragraph from CE (n. 49) refers to the 1967
Instruction of Pope Paul VI, De Sacra Communione... (Holy
Communion and Worship outside of Mass) n. 9. The relevant sentence is,

This [personal worship] will be achieved more easily if the chapel
is separate from the body of the church, especially in churches where
marriages and funerals are celebrated frequently and in churches where
there are many visitors because of pilgrimages or the artistic and
historical treasures.

This passage makes it clear that a separate chapel is recommended
especially for large, busy churches, such as cathedrals and those which
may be tourist attractions. (St. Peters in Rome has a separate chapel of
reservation—in which perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
takes place, and where one always finds visitors kneeling in prayer.)

The reasoning here is obvious: in such churches adoration of the
Blessed Sacrament could be disrupted by people continually walking
about. There is no indication whatever, here or in any other
authoritative Church document, that every church, including ordinary
parish churches, must or even should have a separate chapel for
reservation of the Eucharist.

Attention Deficit?

EACW's justification for construction of separate chapels in all
churches is the assertion that "Active and static aspects of the
same reality cannot claim the same human attention at the same
time".

The authors (and advocates) of EACW imply that most Catholics are
incapable of giving their attention to the central action of the Mass if
a tabernacle containing the reserved Eucharist is visible. This is
simply nonsense. Not a single instance of such confusion is offered as
evidence for this supposition.

A proper understanding of Eucharist integrates both transcendent
("vertical") and immanent ("horizontal") dimensions
. Yet often those who most strenuously advocate separate Eucharistic
chapels for all churches seem to have difficulty integrating the
"horizontal" or "communal meal" aspect of the
Eucharist with its "vertical" or transcendent aspect, the
Sacrifice of Christ to which every believer is called to unite himself.

Indeed, many liturgists today claim that the Second Vatican Council
radicallyaltered the Church's teaching about the essential
meaning of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, and seem to regard the concept of
Eucharistic Adoration as an unwholesome "pre-conciliar"
distraction from the "real" meaning, which, for them, is
"building community". Thus the opposition to adoration of the
Blessed Sacrament and the determined effort to relegate "Jesus to a
closet", recently lamented by Cardinal George of Chicago.

Transubstantiation a "Radical Impoverishment"?

One example of this attitude towards the Eucharist is found in Nathan
Mitchell's Real Presence—The Work of the Eucharist, (Archdiocese
of Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 1998) where he states,
concerning the Catechism of the Catholic Church, that the "CCC's
theology of eucharistic communion thus represents a radical
impoverishment" and "muddies the waters" (p 29). The
author, a former Benedictine priest, is Associate Director of the Notre
Dame Center for Pastoral Liturgy and a columnist for Worship, a
liturgical monthly published by the Benedictine monks of Collegeville,
Minnesota.

Mitchell also declares ("Principle 5", p 114ff) that
"...the Catholic tradition of real presence should not be confused
with the theological doctrine of transubstantiation"; that
Catholics are not required to believe in transubstantiation, and that
the bread and wine "become symbolic signs that enact and embody
(i.e., 'make present') what they signify" (p. 116—originalemphasis). He quotes opinions of contemporary theologians to support
this statement and the liturgical implications of this radical change in
the doctrine of the Eucharist.

Mitchell is by no means alone in his opinions. But it is those who
hold these views who have a "radically impoverished" and
one-dimensional concept of the Eucharist, a misunderstanding not
supported by Catholic dogma concerning the nature and meaning of the
Eucharist (cf. Mysterium Fidei), nor is their opinion shared by
Catholics who can and do integrate both dimensions of the Sacred
Mystery in their understanding of the Mass—the communion of the
Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, and the re-presentation by the
priest of the Sacrifice of Christ who becomes substantially present in
the consecrated elements, which are later reserved in the tabernacle.

If it was ever true that Catholics had an insufficient understanding
of the genuinely communal dimension of the Eucharist and over-emphasized
the "vertical" and sacrificial aspects, such has not been the
case for at least thirty years. Indeed, recent polls indicate that the
opposite problem is now endemic. A defective understanding of the
transcendent and eternal dimension of the Mass as Sacrifice is surely a
far worse problem—and with far more serious consequences for Catholics—than
the alleged "pre-conciliar" excess in the other direction.

Some Tabernacles Restored

Perhaps in part because the urgent need to correct this very serious
error is now recognized, many bishops are reviving Eucharistic
Adoration. Several American bishops have written pastoral letters
encouraging this devotion within the past year or two (inter alia, Archbishop
Justin Rigali of St. Louis, Bishop Thomas Doran of Rockford, Bishop
Thomas Tobin of Youngstown).

Significantly, the tabernacle of reservation has now been restored to
its former position in the center of the sanctuary in not a few
churches: for example, in the chapel of the North American College in
Rome, and in the chapel of the New York Archdiocesan seminary, St.
John's, Dunwoodie.

Simultaneously, however, many influential members of the liturgical
bureaucracy seem even more determined to accomplish their objectives.
Too often the meanings of Church documents are skewed in order to make
them mean what liturgists want them to mean. Their deconstruction of
Church teaching contained in these documents is accomplished through
their "hermeneutic of suspicion" applied to the texts,
selecting what they wish and eliminating altogether what is not useful
to their project—an exercise in "proof-texting" which they
claim to deplore. This biased interpretation is apparent when the very
documents they cite are consulted.

Orthodox Statement "Rabidly Realistic"?

Striking examples of this tactic are also found in Nathan Mitchell's Real
Presence. For instance, Mitchell comments favorably on Berengarius
of Tours' opinion about the nature of the Eucharist, and says,

"unfortunately for Berengarius, a majority of
eleventh-century churchmen did not appreciate such subtleties. At
the Council of Rome in 1059, he was required to sign a credal
statement whose rabidly realistic terms insisted that the
eucharistic bread and wine are not only 'changed' but physically
converted into Christ's flesh in such a way that it is 'broken by
the hands of the priest and crushed by the teeth of the
faithful.'" (p. 11l)

Contrast Mitchell's version with Pope Paul VI's account of the same
historical event in Mysterium Fidei [§52], in which the Holy
Father cites the entire "credal statement" which so offends
Mitchell, saying

it is useful simply to recall that firmness of faith with which
the Church with one accord opposed Berengarius. Yielding to the
difficulties of human reasoning, he was the first who dared deny the
eucharistic change and the Church repeatedly called for him to
retract or be condemned.

The pope quotes the oath, which concludes by stating that the Body
and Blood of Christ "are present not only through the sign and
power of the sacrament, but also in the very reality and truth of their
nature and substance".

The pope continues, [§53] "Continuous with these words, as an
example of the stability of the Catholic faith, is theconstant
teaching on the eucharistic change by the ecumenical Councils of the
Lateran, Constance, Florence, and lastly Trent, both in stating Catholic
doctrine and in condemning error" [§53].

But most Catholics do not have access to the relevant documents, and
thus are ill-equipped to critique insupportable claims. Most bishops
refrain from "interfering" with their liturgy offices.

Furthermore, there seems to be an almost desperate urgency on the
part of some members of the liturgical bureaucracy to transform as many
Catholic churches as possible into "gathering spaces" for
"community celebration" as soon as possible—before any
anticipated revisions to EACW or GIRM may halt the project. They know
that it will be difficult and expensive for most parishes to undo any
such "renovations".

The objective of many is to transform belief by transforming the
place of worship, as well as the language of worship, the music for
worship, and the entire enactment of the ritual itself. They are adamant
in their purpose, and their influence is great.

So long as this situation exists, it appears that Catholics will have
to continue the struggle to keep Jesus' presence central and visible in
their churches—not hidden in a closet.

Documents on Tabernacle Placement

I—Catechism of the Catholic Church

[1994]

§1379. The tabernacle was first intended for the reservation of the
Eucharist ina worthy place so that it could be brought to the
sick and those absent, outside of Mass. As faith in the real presence of
Christ in his Eucharist deepened, the Church became conscious of the
meaning of silent adoration of the Lord present under the Eucharistic
species. It is for this reason that the tabernacle should be located in
an especially worthy place in the church and should be constructed in
such a way that it emphasizes and manifests the truth of the real
presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.

II—Code of Canon Law

[1983]

The Reservation and Veneration of The Most Holy Eucharist at Title
III, Chapter Il, Canons 934-944.

Can. 937—Unless a grave reason prevent it, the church in which
the Most Holy Eucharist is reserved should be open to the faithful for
at least some hours each days that they are able to spend time in prayer
before the Most Blessed Sacrament.

Can. 938

1. "The Most Holy Eucharist is to reserved regularly in only
one tabernacle of a church or oratory."

[Note: c.f. EM §52 infra. Man) churches have a second
tabernacle on a side altar which is used as the Altar of Reservation
from after Holy Thursday) Mass until the Easter Vigil. The existence of
a second tabernacle in a church is not prohibited, but the Most Holy
Eucharist may occupy only one of them—Ed.]

2. "The tabernacle in which the Most Holy Eucharist is
reserved should be placed in a part of the church that is prominent,
conspicuous, beautifully decorated and suitable for prayer."

3. The tabernacle in which the Eucharist is regularly reserved is
to be immovable, made of solid and opaque material, and locked so that
the danger of profanation may be entirely avoided.

4. For a grave cause, it is licit to reserve the Most Holy
Eucharist in another safer and becoming place especially during the
night.

5. The person who has charge of the church or oratory is to see
to it that the key of the tabernacle in which the Most Holy
Eucharist is reserved is safeguarded most diligently.

Can 940: "A special lamp to indicate and honor the presence
of Christ is to burn at all times before the tabernacle in which the
Most Holy Eucharist is reserved".

Can 944-1: "When it can be done in the judgment of the
diocesan bishop, as a public witness of the veneration toward the Most
Holy Eucharist, a procession is to be conducted through the public
streets, especially on the solemnity of the Body and Blood of
Christ".

9. The place for the reservation of the Eucharist should be truly
preeminent. It is highly recommended that the place be suitable also for
private adoration and prayer so that the faithful may readily and
fruitfully continue to honor the Lord, present in the sacrament, through
personal worship.

This will be achieved more easily if the chapel is separate from the
body of the church, especially in churches where marriages and
funerals are celebrated frequently and in churches where there are many
visitors because of pilgrimages or the artistic and historical
treasures. [Emphasis added.]

10. The Holy Eucharist is to be reserved in a solid tabernacle.
It must be opaque and unbreakable. [Eucharisticum Mysterium DOL
179 no 1281, note R4] Ordinarily there should be only one
tabernacle in a church; this may be placed on an altar or if not on an
altar, at the discretion of the local Ordinary, in some other noble and
properly ornamented part of the church. [Ibid. nos. 52, 53.
Eucharisticum Mysterium DOL 179 1281-821

The key to the tabernacle where the eucharist is reserved must be
kept most carefully by the priest in charge of the church or oratory or
by a special minister who has received the faculty to give communion.[n.
R2]

[n. R2—(re canonical rules regarding custody of the
Eucharist) ... The norms contained in the reformed Roman Ritual and
approved by Pope Paul VI amend, as required, the prescriptions of the
Code of Canon Law and other laws hitherto in force or repeal them; other
laws that are neither repealed nor amended in the new Ritual remain
valid and firm. Accordingly, in regard to the custody of the eucharist
the 26 May 1938Instruction ... Nullo unquam (AAS 30
[1938] 198continues to apply.]

11. The presence of the Eucharist in the tabernacle is to be
shown by a veil or in another suitable way determined by the competent
authority.

According to traditional usage, an oil lamp or lamp with a wax candle
is to bum constantly near the tabernacle as a sign of the honor shown to
the Lord.

Importance of the arrangement of churches for well-ordered
celebrations

24. "The church, the house of prayer, must be well cared for
and suited to prayer and liturgy. There the Eucharist is celebrated and
reserved and the faithful gather for worship. There the presence of the
Son of God, our Savior, offered on the altar of sacrifice for us, is
treasured and revered as the aid and solace of the faithful." [n 73Pres. Ord. no. 5]

Pastors should understand, therefore, that the becoming arrangement
of the place of worship contributes much to a right celebration and to
the active participation of the faithful.

For this reason the rules and directives given in the Instruction Inter
Oecumenici (nos. 90-99 [DOL 23 nos. 382-391])should be
followed regarding: the building of churches and their adaptation to the
reformed liturgy; the construction and appointment of altars; the
suitable placement of chairs for the celebrant and ministers; the
provision of a proper place for the proclamation of the readings; the
arrangement of places for the faithful and the choir.

Above all, the main altar should be so placed and constructed that it
always appears as a sign of Christ himself, as the place in which the
sacred mysteries are carried out, and as the focal point for the
gathered faithful, which demands the highest respect.

Care should be taken against destroying treasures of sacred art in
the course of remodeling churches. On the judgment of the local
Ordinary, after consulting experts and, when applicable, with the
consent of other concerned parties, the decision may be made to relocate
some of these treasures in the interest of the liturgical reform. In
such a case this should be done with good sense and in such a way that
even in their new locations they will be set up in a manner befitting
and worthy of the works themselves.

Pastors should remember that the material and the design of vestments
greatly contribute to the dignity of liturgical celebrations. Vestments
should be designed "for a noble beauty rather than mere sumptuous
display". [SC #1241

Part III—Worship of the Eucharist as a Permanent Sacrament

II: Place for Eucharistic Reservation

The Tabernacle

52. Where the Eucharist is allowed to be reserved in keeping with
the provisions of law, only one altar of location in the same church may
be the permanent, that is, regular place of reservation. As a general
rule, therefore, there is to be but one tabernacle in each church and it
is to be solid and absolutely secure.

Chapel of Reservation

53. The place in a church or oratory where the Eucharist is
reserved in a tabernacle should be truly a place of honor. It should
also be suited to private prayer so that the faithful may readily and to
their advantage continue to honor the Lord in this sacrament by private
worship. Therefore it is recommended that as far as possible the
tabernacle be placed in a chapel set apart from the main body of the church,
especially in churches where there frequently are marriages and funerals
and in places that, because of their artistic or historical treasures,
are visited by many people. [Emphasis added—Ed.]

Tabernacle in the middle of altar or in another part of the church

54. "The Eucharist is to be reserved in a solid and secure
tabernacle, placed in the middle of the main altar or on a minor, but
truly worthy altar, or else, depending on lawful custom and in
particular cases approved by the local Ordinary, in another, special,
and properly adorned part of the church.

"It is also lawful to celebrate Mass facing the people even on
an altar where there is a small but becoming tabernacle." [n. 115—SCR
Instruction Inter Oecumenoi, no. 95 [DOL 23. no 3870.]

Tabernacle on an altar where Mass is celebrated with a congregation

55. In the celebration of Mass the principal modes of Christ's
presence to his Church emerge clearly one after the other: first he is
seen to be present in the assembly of the faithful gathered in his name;
then in his word, with the reading and explanation of Scripture, also in
the person of the minister; finally, in a singular way under the
Eucharistic Elements. Consequently, on the grounds of the sign value, it
is more in keeping with the nature of the celebration that, through
reservation of the sacrament in the tabernacle, Christ not be present
eucharistically from the beginning on the altar where Mass is
celebrated. That presence is the effect of the consecration and should
appear as such.

The tabernacle in the construction of new churches and in the
remodeling of existing churches and altars

56. It is fitting that the principles stated in nos. 52 and 54 be
taken into account in the building of new churches.

Remodeling of already existing churches and altars must be carried
out in exact compliance with no. 24 of this Instruction. [No. 24
appears above.—Ed.]

Means of indicating the presence of Blessed Sacrament in the
tabernacle

57. Care should be taken that the faithful be made aware of the
presence of the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle by the use of a veil
or some other effective means prescribed by the competent authority.

According to the traditional practice, a lamp should bum continuously
near the tabernacle as a sign of the honor shown to the Lord. [n. 117
-see CIC can. 1271.1

95. The eucharist is to be reserved in a solid and secure
tabernacle, placed in the middle of the main altar or on a minor, but
truly worthy altar, or, in accord with lawful custom and in particular
cases approved by the local Ordinary, also in another, special, and
properly adorned part of the church.

[DOL: Documents on the Liturgy 1963-1979: Conciliar, Papal and Curial
Texts, translated by the International Commission on English in the
Liturgy [ICEL]. 1982. Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press]

VII—Environment and Art in Catholic Worship

[Statement of US Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy—19781

78. The celebration of the eucharist is the focus of the normal
Sunday assembly. As such, the major space of a church is designed for
this action. Beyond the celebration of the eucharist, the Church has had
a most ancient tradition of reserving the eucharistic bread. The purpose
of this reservation is to bring communion to the sick and to be the
object of private devotion. Most appropriately, this reservation should
be designated in a space designed for individual devotion. A room or
chapel specifically designed and separate from the major space is
important so that no confusion can take place between the celebration of
the eucharist and reservation. Active and static aspects of the same
reality cannot claim the same human attention at the same time. Having
the eucharist reserved in a place apart does not mean it has been
relegated to a secondary place of no importance. Rather, a space
carefully designed and appointed can give proper attention to the
reserved sacrament.

79. This space should offer easy access from the porch areas,
garden or street as well as the main space. The devotional character of
the space should create an atmosphere of warmth while acknowledging the
mystery of the Lord. It should support private meditation without
distractions. If iconography or statuary are present, they should not
obscure the primary focus of reservation.

80. The tabernacle, as a receptacle for the reservation of the
eucharist, should be solid and unbreakable, dignified and properly
ornamented. It may be placed in a wall niche, on a pillar, eucharistic
tower. It should not be placed on an altar for the altar is a place for
action not for reservation. There should be only one tabernacle in a
church building. A lamp should burn continuously near it.